1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a side-illuminating projection lens and a headlight having the same, and more particularly, to a side-illuminating projection lens and a headlight having the same, in which a side-illuminating lamp is implemented with a projection lamp that illuminates to the side of a vehicle by radiating light in the radial direction so that sideways-radiated light overlaps forward-radiated light, thereby improving the driver's vision.
2. Description of Related Art
In general, vehicle headlights are fixed to a headlight housing of a vehicle to illuminate the road only in the direction coaxial with the longitudinal line of the vehicle. Therefore, the driver's vision is limited to objects in the forward direction. Since objects to the sides are seldom perceptible, the driver can be subjected to a dangerous situation.
Accordingly, low-beam headlights equipped with side-illuminating lamps have been proposed in the related art in order to solve this problem.
Below, with reference to FIGS. 1A to 1C, a description will be given of a low-beam headlight equipped with a side-illuminating lamp of the related art.
FIG. 1A is a front elevation view showing a low-beam headlight equipped with a side-illuminating lamp of the related art, FIG. 1B is front elevation and perspective views showing a projection lens of the related art, and FIG. 1C is a front elevation view showing the state of the projection lens when it radiates light to the side.
The low-beam headlight 1 equipped with a side-illuminating lamp of the related art includes front-illuminating lamps 2, in which projection lamps are used, and side-illuminating lamps 3, each of which is implemented with a Multi-Focal Reflector (MFR) lamp.
Each of the front-illuminating lamps 2 is configured to radiate light from a light source 20 in the forward direction through a projection lens 10 (see FIG. 1B). Each of the side-illuminating lamps 3 is configured to radiate light from a light source 20 to the side using a reflector 30.
The front-illuminating lamp 2 including the projection lens has a good aesthetic appearance since its interior is not exposed to the outside. In contrast, the side-illuminating lamp 3, implemented with an MFR lamp, does not have a good aesthetic appearance since its interior configuration is exposed to the outside. Since the front-illuminating lamps 2 and the side-illuminating lamps 3 have different designs, the layout of the headlight 1 is complicated and the beauty of design of the headlight 1 is inferior.
Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 1C, the side-illuminating lamp 3 can be constructed to incorporate a projection lens 10 by angling the projection lens 10 to one side. However, the projection lens 10 has a flat underside 12 and a convex upper surface 11 opposite the underside 12 to provide parallel light rays. Accordingly, a dark zone 7, which is illuminated neither by the forward-radiated light nor the sideways-radiated light, is formed, thereby degrading the driver's vision.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.